Kalvan stepped out of the royal tent and nearly stumbled over Aspasthar. The boy woke up with a squeak of panic.
"Your Majesty!"
"Aspasthar, sleeping on watch is still a serious offense. Even after doing so well in your first battle."
"Your Majesty, I beg forgiveness. But my father came by and said he would watch in my place. He-" A rumbling snore interrupted the page.
Kalvan looked into the shadows on the other side of the tent door and saw Harmakros curled up under a blanket, even more soundly asleep than his son. Making sure that the armed sentries were all in place, Kalvan ducked back into his tent, burrowed into his piled baggage, and came out with a jug of Ermut's Best.
By the time he came out his unofficial 'sentries' were awake. "Thanks for coming, both of you," Kalvan said. "I feel like celebrating, but I didn't want to drink alone."
"What about our friend and ally, Great King Nestros?" Harmakros asked.
"Please," Kalvan said. "Remember when I said it was all over but the shouting? I didn't know what I was saying. A discreet whisper for both Nestros and Sargos is what you would use for drilling a whole regiment! I'd be as deaf as a gunner if we had any more private sessions. But, Dralm be blessed, this was the last one!"
"Then we have an alliance?"
"Signed, sealed and about to be delivered to Grand Master Soton. Ranjar Sargos is no fool. The Zarthani Knights are the hereditary enemies of the Sastragathi. He'll fight them rather than anyone else if he has half a chance of victory. We are giving him much more than that."
"And the nomads?"
"Those sworn to Warlord Ranjar Sargos will follow us. The rest have a moon half to either join us or leave the Great Kingdom of Hos-Rathon. Nestros would like to make it a moon quarter, but he'll swallow hard and accept."
"I imagine most men would swallow a lot more, to be a Great King."
"Likely enough. "Being a Great King must be the dream of everyone who doesn't know what a headache it is! Not to mention aches in other places. Kalvan couldn't recall having been out of the saddle for more than twenty minutes at a time from dawn until dusk. He could recall the fields three-deep in dead men and horses, and worse, those who weren't yet dead. He didn't want to recall them, but they had glued themselves to his memory.
Kalvan uncorked the jug and passed it to Harmakros. As the brandy gurgled, Kalvan added, "Even with what we have in hand now, we'll be leading a hundred thousand men south. That should be a real headache for our friend Soton, and no aspirin for it either!"
"Aspirin?"
"An alchemy potion from my homeland. Willowbark tea has the same effect, but it's not as strong. Good for the headaches we'll surely have if we finish this jug."
"I'll gladly take the burden on myself, Your-"
"Hand that jug over, Harmakros, that is, if you don't want to be charged with treason.